March Madness

March is one of my favorite months of the year. Trees start to blossom, warmer air starts sneaking its way back in, and basketball can be found on a variety of channels. I have to say that my heart always tends to pull for the underdog or the "Cinderella" story. Look at the Final 4 this year! Not one #1 seed! That just proves the point that any given team can be beaten at any given time. You could have the 5 best players in the world out on the court at the same time, and they could lose! How does that happen? Obviously they started the season (or even before that) with a goal of winning the NCAA championship, but now, those 4 #1 seeds will be watching the competition in Houston from the stands instead of playing on the hardwood. It takes 4 games (or 5 if you were VCU) to reach the final 4. 4 or 5 game plans had to be formed, practiced, and executed for them to reach this place.

And each was done one at a time......

This same concept applies to our lives. If your goal is to be more like Christ, you will have to face an opponent--the devil. He will change his "team" or scheme every single day to make you fall. That is why you don't need to look ahead too far. You must take one day at a time. James 4:13-17 tells us: Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit" ; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away Instead you ought to say "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance. "All such boasting is evil." Therefore to him who know to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.--James 4:13-17 Duke, Kansas, Pittsburgh, and Ohio State didn't make it to the final 4 like some thought they would. Sure, when you are on the pedestal everyone is out to get you and usually try to bring their best game when they play you. But...the devil does that. He is out to get you. He wants you. He will come at his best game to take you down. Sometimes he works by placing something little in your life that ends up being big. Our arrogance might set in like what is discussed here in James. That is why it is so important to not look too far ahead.

Instead, take it only one day at a time!

You aren't promised tomorrow. So, make the most out of TODAY!! Strive to be more like Christ.

Season of Youth

Life is made up of seasons. What are you doing with yours?

Facebook is a marvelous thing. I have reconnected with people from my past, which for the most part has been a good experience. But, in some ways I can't help but feel embarrassed. Why?? Let's just say some of my decisions back then didn't reflect who I am today. Sure, they can see the "change" now (or I hope so), but how do they remember me from my youth?---I can't take anything back.

How do you want to be remembered in your youth?

You live in a world where sin is all around you. It is thrown at you in television shows, in books, in technology that wasn't even available to me at your age (and I realize I am aging, but I like to think I am not too "old"). This isn't new though. Even though things have been modernized, youths in biblical times were faced with adversity too. Paul gave the warning in 1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." So, watch what you say...watch what you do...put others above yourself...every breath you take should reflect that you NEED the Lord, and keep away from things that cloud your minds and your bodies.

THE TIME IS NOW!!

The Ecclesiastes writer in the eleventh chapter gives some really good advice.."Rejoice,
O young man in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight oh your eyes; but know for all these God will bring you into judgement, Therefore, remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. " (11:9-10) Life is a vapor--so make the most of it today. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Sure, you will make mistakes--we all fall short. But, as the writer here says---put away evil things!! Get them out of your life!!

Make sure a good name follows you...."A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of birth..." Ecclesiastes 7:1. Be that example........

Change

Change--it is all around us.

We see it in creation with the seasons. We see it in a day's time period with light and darkness. We see it with the different landscapes of the earth that God created (flat grassland to mountains). We see it humans--baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult, aging adult. And the list could go on....

Our family was blessed with the birth of our second son three weeks ago, which has really sent me down a time of reflection of my life. From growing up in a small town in the Texas panhandle, to college in Lubbock, to getting married to a wonderful man, to moving to the "city" (Houston), to moving to Tennessee, welcoming our first-born, and now our second, I have seen friends come and go, I have been in spiritual highs, and spiritual lows, it has been nothing but CHANGE.

What impact does the word change have on a Christian? It should be everything! Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ now lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." He goes on in Ephesians 5:1 "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." Does your life reflect change? Have you died to yourself? Have you changed to be an imitator of God in every aspect of your life---your speech, your dress, your relationships? With every breath you take, are you Christ-like?

A passage in Hebrews 10:19-25 is a great resource for this word. Read carefully....

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by anew and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manners of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching.

What can we take from this?

C: Consider one another....Have you ever noticed that when you take "less" attention to yourself and put more on others, CHANGE will occur! Stir up those good works! (10:24)

H: Hope...If your hope is in Christ, why should you not be a CHANGED person? There is nothing to fear because HE is FAITHFUL! (10:23)

A: Assembly....assemble with one other. When you spend time with people assembling together, they can hold you accountable! We are told here that you shouldn't forsake this!! (10:25)

N: Near...Draw NEAR to God with a true heart. Your heart will be sprinkled with protection from evil! (10:22)

G: Grateful....WE can enter heaven because of the blood of Jesus. WE CAN enter heaven because of the blood of Jesus. WE CAN ENTER heaven because of the blood of Jesus. WE CAN ENTER HEAVEN because of the blood of Jesus. We have every reason to be grateful. (10:19)

E: Educate! Educate! Educate! How do you expect to change if you don't know what you are to do? We have a life instruction manual right there ready to use, but do you know it?
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. he who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9
There is no sugar-coating here. If you do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, you do not have God. Make sure you know the very words that were inspired by our Heavenly Father!

Be a CHANGED person today!